New era beckons for NRL's Storm and Cowboys

For North Queensland, this might just be the beginning of a bright new day.

As the Storm prepare to bid farewell to Cooper Cronk during Sunday's NRL grand final, the Cowboys are likewise preparing for their own changing of the guard.

With Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston sitting on the sidelines, Michael Morgan and Jason Taumalolo have fired the underdog Cowboys to a second grand final in three years and signalled they're ready to lead the team for years to come.

Whichever way the result goes at ANZ Stadium, it will be remembered as a fairytale.

The game will be the last time 'The Big Three' of Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater take the field as arguably the greatest club combination.